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Do you actually know an indie family?

133 replies

TotallyBS · 20/02/2013 22:39

We chose to go private because we don't have any grammar schools in our catchment and the local. comps aren't brilliant. Other choose private because their state schools have to work hard just to be not brilliant. Many of us would love to put the fees towards reducing out mortgage or holidays for e.g. if only we had decent state schools to send our kids to.

Of course there are those choose private imply because they have the disposable income such they don't have to carry out a cost benefit analysis. They do it for the same reason you like a nice hotel while on holiday complete with room service, big pool and a kids club ie nothing to do with avoiding less well off families.

As for the parents, away from places like Eton, they tend to be accountants, dentists, estate agents and the like. So not much opportunity for social climbing at most indies

The above is the preamble to the question in the subject because judging from the views expresseb by various anti private posters, very few of you actually know an indie family.

I mean, all they seem to go on about is how indie parents are snobby, social climbing and don't want their kids to mix with less well off kids. Maybe those generalisations are true for places like Eton but most indies that trade on their academic record are full of ordinary albeit well paid people.

So the next time you go on about how some parents think that the state system is full of underachieving DCS born to unsupportive WC parents, have a good look at the mirror. I suspect the person that you see isn't that different from the person you are complaining about.

Incidentally, there is another school gate politics thread going on at the moment. Apparently state school moms can be bitchy and clique-ey. shock horror Grin

OP posts:
ExitPursuedByABear · 20/02/2013 22:42

And your point is?

MrsPHollywood · 20/02/2013 22:45

Seriously, I have no idea what you are getting at.

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 20/02/2013 22:48

An 'indie family'? Wtf?

If you mean do I know any families in which the children go to private school, yes.

tiggytape · 20/02/2013 22:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Limelight · 20/02/2013 22:50

Lost. Sorry. What is an 'indie family?' Is it something to do with bullwhips and rakish grins?

irregularegular · 20/02/2013 22:56

I honestly thought you meant something to do with indie music.

katrinefonsmark · 20/02/2013 22:56

Indie is a vomitacious word. I also hate playdate and school run.

steppemum · 20/02/2013 22:58

I went to Indie school. Both my brothers are sending their kids to indie primaries (although one brother will send his to grammar at secondary)

Mine will not be going to Independent school.

Your paragraph about look in the mirror is highly offensive.

ThreeBeeOneGee · 20/02/2013 22:58

I'm not sure what you mean. What is an indie family? Is it one in which both parents went to independent schools and all the children do? My father went to an independent school, my mother went to a state school. DH went to a state school; I went to an independent school. Our children go to state schools; quite a few of their friends go to independent schools.

Copthallresident · 20/02/2013 23:37

In this household an Indie family would be one that wore Doc Martins, Alex Chung fashions and spent the summer in tents at pop festivals listening to Alex Turner. I wish ;-) and it has the stamp of approval of Grandmum, ex Deputy Head, because he seems like a very nice boy. Just saying.............

TotallyBS · 20/02/2013 23:46

I though my point was crystal clear. Apparently not. Let's start again.

In threads about private education some people inevitably make the point that some parents chooose to go private because they are social climbers.

My point was that away from places like Eton the parents are accountants, dentists and the like. If you think that parents go private to social climb then you obviously don't know anyone who actually privately educates their DCs.

The other 'inevitable' point is that parents choose private schools because they don't want their kids to mix with less well off kids. In reality a lot of parents go private because their state options aren't brilliant. Others go private for the same reason that you pay extra for a hotel with a nice pool or a kids club or a spa ie you like your comforts and you can afford it so why not?

My point is that if you think that parents choose private because they are snobs then you obviously don't know anyone that privately educates their DCs.

Basically people generalise a lot about people who choose a private education. Those generalisations are so inaccurate that I can only conclude that you don't actually know anyone who has gone private or you don't really understand why they made that choice.

That aside, the comments was directed at those who generalise about parents who privately educate their children so I've no idea why posters who are privately educated or are privately educating their DCs are taking offence at my comments Confused

OP posts:
lisad123everybodydancenow · 20/02/2013 23:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PureQuintessence · 20/02/2013 23:49

Hmm I dont know what to say about your point.

Are you sure you are all right?

You are assuming one heck of a lot on behalf of other people.
You are in fact assuming other people have lots of prejudices. I think you should look in the mirror, perhaps.

I dont educate my child privately. Most of my friends do.

rockinhippy · 20/02/2013 23:58

[Confused] Lose the y & your NN is probably the most apt I've ever seen on here Grin

TotallyBS · 21/02/2013 00:01

Pure - I don't know what to say about your confusion. If you don't recognize yourself in my comment then the comment isn't directed at you.

At the moment it's a bit like me saying that Americans speak funny and some Brit going - I don't speak funny. Why is Totally saying that I speak funny?

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PureQuintessence · 21/02/2013 00:06

Oh, I see, so you are directing your prejudices against other prejudiced people.

Well, I shall leave you to it then! Grin

TotallyBS · 21/02/2013 00:10

Pure - stop with the Wine. You are posting a seies of non sequiturs. Time to sleep it off.

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tethersend · 21/02/2013 00:11


montmartre · 21/02/2013 00:13

Have you missed a paragraph out?

FWIW I know plenty of families that use the Independent sector (they are not 'Indie' families FFS, that would be a family that listen to Indie music!) and some of them are indeed snobs, many are not. Some of the families I know that use the maintained sector are snobs, many are not, though it's probably very easy to look down on others when your home is worth £600k more than theirs!

TotallyBS · 21/02/2013 00:14

There is definitely a weird crowd here tonight. Oh well, maybe the crowd over at AIBU will be more sober.

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montmartre · 21/02/2013 00:16

Now you're just being offensive in addition to incoherent!

TotallyBS · 21/02/2013 00:21

In the past I have been lectured on the correct (and respectful) way to refer to a child with learning difficulties. This is the first time I have been lectured on the correct way to refer to a family that makes use of the private system Grin

Methinks I'll sit back and wait for the day shift.

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Greensleeves · 21/02/2013 00:21

Your posts come across as very antagonistic and condescending. Did you mean them to? They're actually a very poor advert for private education.

PatriciaHolm · 21/02/2013 00:22

"My point is that if you think that parents choose private because they are snobs then you obviously don't know anyone that privately educates their DCs."

Well, I know a fair amount who do - I live in an affluent part of surrey - and I can assure you that a fair few do educate privately simply because they like the snob value. Local schools around here are excellent; you would really struggle to significantly beat their educational value at private. Yet people do pay, in many cases because they believe it makes them "better" than those who don't. We could easily pay, yet don't, as I love the fantastic state ours attend (so I am not posting out of jealousy.) I'm happy to admit I would pay if I felt the education they are getting was poor; it isn't.

You may not send your kids private out of snobbery, and many don't, I totally appreciate that. But an appreciable number do.

TotallyBS · 21/02/2013 00:42

Patricia - I should have done a better job of qualifying my comment. I accept that certain areas like Surrey and Chelsea have a catchment that is very snobby and very rich but maybe I lead a sheltered life but I see little evidence of that at my school and at the ones i have connections to.

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